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Deportation Up, State and Local Governments Taking Action

October 5, 2014

Plain English Version

Nogales, Arizona on the left, Nogales, Sonora on the right.

The United States deported nearly 450,000 people in 2013. This is a record-high number. Most of the deportations are taking place at the borders. Nearly half were fast track, expedited removals. These migrants are sent back to their country (usually Mexico) without going through immigration court.

Immigration courts are bogged down with backlogs. Only about 17 percent of deportations in 2013 went through the courts or high-level review. In 2011, the number was 36 percent.

Another large group of migrants are removed without hearings. These are people found with old deportation orders that were not carried out.

Fewer than half of the deported committed serious crimes. That number is going down in part because so many migrants are removed at the border.

Fewer removals are happening to families living in the interior of the U.S. These removals often affect families who have been settled for a long time in America.

The president has said he will take action on immigration issues after the November elections.

Some places are doing immigration reform. New York is getting ready to issue driver’s licenses and I.D. cards. The New York City Council wants to stop honoring detention requests from the U.S. government. They will only accept those issued by a federal judge.

The election is a month away. Border issues, such as the chance for terrorists to cross the border, have made many people wary. The recent migration of young children from Central American countries also showed security loopholes at the borders.

Republicans may take control of the Senate as a result of the election. If that happens, immigration reform will be harder to pass.